Exceptional Adventures in Paradise
The weather has really been doing a number on outdoor adventures this year. In February, a long-planned adventure had to be called off due to heat, in March it was so cold tender plants had to be protected, and an April panhandle trip saw weather much cooler than we like and much rainier than we hoped. But Judy and I are tough, so we didn’t cancel our trip to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.
Continue reading “Rain and Chill Can’t Dampen a Great Trip”
Some think of sand dunes as an impediment to getting the cooler, chairs, and umbrella down to the beach, and they do make getting to the water a bit harder. But they’re worth the struggle!
Continue reading “Crystalline Dunes: Timeless Guardians of the Coastline”I used to think that if you made a plan and could not successfully execute it on the first attempt, you had failed. I now know that some plans take several iterations before they are successful, and that’s what Judy and I experienced on our first attempt at hiking the Florida Trail from Clearwater Lake to Rodman Dam. Here’s our original plan and our first set of modifications. There may be more to come . . . who can say?
Well, to start, they’re highly unusual! Found in only four countries, including Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, there are 15 named coastal dune lakes in Walton County, Florida (they are also found in Oregon, which has a system of 40 such lakes; and South Carolina, which is unsure how many dune lakes they have). Florida’s dune lakes are usually formed where fresh water seeps through the sand, forming shallow, water-filled depressions. Other sources of fresh water include streams and rain water.
Continue reading “Rare Delights Tucked Among Panhandle Dunes: Spectacular Dune Lakes”
Mid-February is usually a great time to be on the Florida Trail in the central part of the state. This year, Judy and I were looking forward to 8 days of a condition we call “forest drunk.” Forest-drunkenness is a state of deep relaxation, a sense of oneness with all that surrounds us, and a general feeling of joy. When we first decided to hike the Florida Trail from south to north through the Ocala National Forest, we knew we wanted a week in February, because it’s generally cool, dry, and beautifully clear. Here are a few posts about planning this trip:
Continue reading “Weather Woes Strike on the Trail: Dog Days of February?”
You may be wondering what the heck is going on in this image, and honestly, so am I. It’s a pretty good representation of my emotional state right now: ready to get an adventure underway, but worried enough that I am having trouble actually packing what I need to make it happen.
Continue reading “Confidence and Trepidation: Two Weeks Out”
An update here is long overdue, but I’m looking forward to getting back to a regular schedule after January 1. I’ll return to a text post every Monday and a photo post every Wednesday. Thanks for your patience!
Continue reading “Florida Trail in Ocala National Forest: All That and a Bag of Chips”
We’re making a habit of meeting in the parking lot of the Umatilla Ace Hardware and then carpooling up into the Ocala National Forest. Getting closer to completing my goal of hiking the Florida National Scenic Trail through the Forest, the stretch from Pat’s Island to Hopkins Prairie is the latest section my hiking friends and I have covered. This is a very short section, less than 5 miles out and back, but worth a visit!
Continue reading “Five Things to Love About Hopkins Prairie”
After our visit to the seagrass beds off Key Largo, we delved into the ecology of mangroves. A thicket of mangrove always reminds me of a fortress. Red mangroves lining a shoreline or roadside look impenetrable! From the water, the roots look forbidding and mysterious, and from land, the thought of trying to balance on those roots feels like a recipe for broken limbs.
Continue reading “Mangrove Fortresses: More Than an Enchanting Empire”
After an afternoon and evening of orienting ourselves to Marine Lab, Tuesday morning started with breakfast and a short class on seagrass ecology. Florida has three predominant species of seagrass: turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), shoal grass (Halodule wrightii), and manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme). Turtle grass has a broad, flat blade that is rounded at the top. Shoal grass, the first grass to grow in an area that has been disturbed, has a narrower blade with a flat or notched top. Manatee grass is cylindrical and has very shallow roots.
Continue reading “Strong Seagrass Beds: Foundation for Thrilling Coral Reefs”